Minister Cites Corruption as Cause for Delayed Road Projects
Delayed Compensation and Stalled Works on the Kyaliwajjala-Matugga Road
For Catherine Nabweteme, a 62-year-old resident of Kirwanira Cell in Gombe Division, Nansana Municipality, the construction of the Kyaliwajjala–Kira–Kasangati–Matugga Road has brought years of uncertainty over land compensation. watchdoguganda.com reported that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni launched the 23-kilometre road project in December 2020 at Kyaliwajjala Trading Centre, awarding the fully government-funded Shs200 billion contract to the Chinese contractor Chongqing International Construction Corporation (CICO). Nearly six years later, construction remains ongoing, and Nabweteme states she has yet to receive payment for a quarter-acre of land affected by the project.
Officials from the then Uganda National Roads Authority assessed her property around the COVID-19 period. Since that valuation, residents report being barred from carrying out development projects on their land. Prolonged uncertainty disrupts investment plans, prevents property improvements, and complicates ownership transfers when a landowner dies.
Samuel Kazibwe faces a related dilemma following the death of his father, John Bosco Sseruyange, in 2024. Sseruyange passed away months after his property was valued for compensation and after submitting his bank account details. Because his father was the sole signatory to the account, the family remains uncertain about how the payment will be processed. Kazibwe notes that land values have changed significantly since 2020. Nabweteme and Kazibwe are among residents along the four-kilometre Kiti–Matugga stretch awaiting payment ahead of the project’s scheduled completion deadline in July 2027.
Infrastructure Bottlenecks Along the Mpererwe-Kiteezi Route
A similar pattern of delay characterizes the Mpererwe–Kiteezi–Kiti Road, which connects to the Kyaliwajjala–Kira–Kasangati–Matugga Road at Kiti Junction. Kampala Capital City Authority and Wakiso District officials launched construction on the 9.1-kilometre road in May 2026. The Shs50 billion project, part of the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project, was awarded to the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to improve traffic flow and connectivity.
For road users, however, the prolonged wait creates daily challenges. Ivan Kiseka, a taxi operator at Mpererwe Taxi Park, states that poor road conditions force frequent vehicle repairs, increasing operating costs and reducing active transit time. Christopher Mutibwa, a boda boda rider at Mpererwe Kayembe Stage, describes riding through dust and disruptions in the construction area. Timothy Ssemakula, a resident of Namere Cell, reports that dust triggers flu-like and allergic symptoms.
Ministerial Allegations of Deliberate Corruption
Minister of State for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama points to corruption and deliberate delays within the road project management system as primary drivers of stalled construction. During inspections of delayed projects between June and August 2026, Byamukama identified collusion as a major contributor to stalled works on the Mityana–Mubende Road, Masaka–Kyotera–Mutukula Road, Busega–Mpigi Expressway, and the Kyaliwajjala–Kira–Kasangati–Matugga Road.
Byamukama asserts that delays in approving designs, processing payment certificates, and handling contract variations are deliberately engineered to increase project costs and expose the government to additional claims and interest. He alleges that ministry officials hold personal interests in properties located within road reserves, allowing them to influence and inflate compensation amounts. The minister cited the Kisubi–Nakawuka–Nateete road project, where compensation costs reportedly rose to more than Shs400 billion, roughly three times the construction cost. He also alleged that ministry officials constructed expensive buildings and fuel stations along the Kyaliwajjala–Kira–Kasangati–Matugga corridor to secure compensation payouts.
Beyond these allegations, Byamukama criticized contractor inefficiency, difficulties in implementing agreed designs, and weak project preparation. He noted that signing contracts before land acquisition and utility relocations are complete frequently leaves contractors unable to proceed smoothly.
Widespread Disruption Across Kampala Livelihoods
The impact of delayed road projects extends across Kampala, affecting motorists, public transport operators, traders, and residents. Emmanuel Muhabuzi, a boda boda rider on the Wandegeya–Mulago–Kamwokya route, states that roadworks increase traffic delays and force longer alternative routes, raising fuel consumption and lowering daily earnings while exposing passengers to dust and mud.